The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1887-04-27
PROGRESS And PROSPECTS.
THE CAROLINA, CUMBERLAND GAP AND
CHICAGO ROAD.
Judge Cothran aid President Bowen
Travel Over the Proposed Route-..
They Meet Citizens of Brevard and
AslheviIIe Hearty Greeting to
South CarOlina's Representatives.

South CarOlina's Representatives.
AsHEvILLE, April pa large and enthusi-
astic meeting of prominent citizens OF this
place was to-day held in this city for the pur-
Of the Carolina, Cumberland Gap and Chicago
Railroad. The president Of the road, Hon. K.
E. Bowen, of Pickens, S. c.. and Judge }: ).
Cothran, member OF Congress from South Car
were subscribed to complete the survey al
ready done to Brevard. A wealthy syndicate
offers to furnish the money 10 complete the
road If certain conditions are complied Win.
These terms are said to be satisfactory to the
management Of the road.-Charleston Sunday
Net0s.
In reference to the above telegram the Press
and Bonner has ndaH seen Indge tothran' VINO re-
He, with Col. Bowen, the president OF the
road, have traversed the line of the proposed
road by private conveyance as far as Ashe-
VILE N e. the uag9 ees o %ndsr
Captain Kirk, the eng glneer OF the company,
about the 2lst OF March last. began the survey
at Estatoe Gap on the line between North and
'n the middle fork Of the French Broad. on
Thursday OF last week the corps had finished
the survey down the valley from Estatoe to
Brevard, and the engineer has succeeded In
crossing the mountain with @ maximum
grade Of 7S feet to the mile. The citizens OF
Pennsylvania county hailed with Joy the
prospect of getting railroad communication
with the outside world, and responded liberal.
Iy to the call that was made upon them to aid
in defraying the expenses OF the survey.
They are prepared to vote a subsidy, they say
OF $4,000, to the first road that gives assurance
of traversing their county. From Brevard to
miles nns Inc eos9 and
straight enough for all practical purposes.
At Ashevllle the citizens are enthusiastic
for the road, greatly desiring practical out m
Board of Trade responded readily to the re-
quest to furnish the means Of completing the
survey to Asheville and to continue the same
on to the Tennessee line, II necessary, about
seventy miles, and 10 subscribe, they say
s10O, 900, to build the road. 1t was In the orig
inal project to make q branch road from Bre-
ward to Asheville, but the great growth and
Importance Of Asheville, rs developed In the
last twelve or eighteen months might well
Instead of passing on from Brevard over the
Pink Beds and the Pigeon river 1t is now pro-
posed to avoid the difficult route by pursuing
the line of the French Broad from Asheville
to the Tennessee line and thence to Norris
town.
When the editor of the Press and Banner
was in Ashevillea q few years ago he was told
the Pink Beds, Pisgah and the Pigeon river
was impracticable on account Of the heavy
tunneling required, and we can well under
stand the change OF sentiment there conse-
quent upon the adoption Of practical route,
which will save the expenditure OF many mil
lions Of dollars, and the necessary delay Of
years of time which would be required to tun-
mel the mountains by the FIRST proposed route. s
jects Of iron, coal and timber should give vi
tality TO any scheme that proposes their de-
velopment, and we trust that whilst just here
in Abbeville we have none Of these we may
vet experience great advantages from being
In proximity To them.
There is evidently signs Of progress through
out the mineral regions Of the South, but 1t
lrap Ia IN AM Or n n " m
ticular locality. Whatever resources any sec
ton has will be developed by the same causes
that operate upon these. and 1t Is hoped by
we'll directed efforts, communication may yet
be established between our section and that
Iust North of US, aboupding as the latter does,
In coal, iron, timber, live stock and provls.
ions
Should the proposed road be constructed no
great ser rice to this section and II, as the engi
neer estimates, there is only twenty-three
miles OF heavy work between the foot OF the
mountala at Prices store on this side, to the
level OF the valley beyond, costing an average
OF s17,5 500 per mile, with the rest OF the way.
costing 3 OF more than the ordinary grading of
q road through the country, the building OF
the road from Aiken, at least as far az Ashe al1
bility. BY avoiding the Pink Beds the almost
impenetYable mountains OF granite are gone
round, q good route is adopted, which in
creases the length Of the line only some four
or five miles.
This looks to us like business. and unless
the engineer is mistaken In his estimate OF
the grade over the mountains. and we have no
reason to suppose that he is, this will be the
only freight road from Asheville In this dtrec.
tion. 1t is q we'll known fact that the Spar
tanburg and Asheville road ascends the
mountain from this side at grade of over six
hundred feet for three miles at q stretch, being
over two hundred feet to the mile as compared
with seventy-elght by the proposed route.
II Is hoped that interest In this scheme may
be revived and that our people may respond
to the feeling manifested by our friends be-.
yond the mountains, who seem to take prac-
tical view of the matter.